Screw-driver.



No. 717,56Q. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903."

E. C. GREENE.

SCREW DRIVER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 2,1902.

N0 MODEL.

llNiTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED C. GREENE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNCR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGEA. DILLINGHAM, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND CHARLES F. DUDLEY, OFLYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SCREW-DRIVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,569, dated January6, 1903.

Application filed April 2, 1902. Serial No. 101,073. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, FRED C. GREENE, acitizen of the United States,residing in Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements in Screw-Drivers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to screw-drivers, and particularly to theoperative portion of the screwdriver-that is to say, to the handle andthe portions immediately connected therewith, whereby the blade isoperated. In this improved screw-driver the device is adapted to beused, i'rst, in the ordinary manner in which a simple screw-driver,consisting of a fixed handle upon a blade, is operated; second, as aright-handed ratchet screw-driver with the handle slipping; third, as alefthanded ratchet screw-driver with the handle slipping, and, fourth,as a lever-ratchet screwdriver, in which power is applied by means of alever which swings outward from the handle. VWhen the screw-driver isactuated in the manner last described, the lever may be placed at rightangles therewith or swung to an upward or downward angle, as desired,the angle being determined by the position with relation of the screw tobe operated upon and the condition of the surrounding parts. In practicewhen the lever is swung up to its highest point over the handle itbecomes locked with the handle and the device is used as an ordinaryscrew-driver. is swung down on either side, the device is operated as aratchet screw-driver and the lever takes the place of a bit-stock orbrace; but as it can swing to any angle the screwdriver can be used inlocations and under conditions where a bit-stock could not be operated.

The nature of the invention is fully described below, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Fignre l is a view in frontelevation of my device with the parts in position for the screwdriver tobe operatedin the ordinary manner-that is, as ordinary screw-drivers,not ratchet screw-drivers, are used. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken atright angles to the 5o elevation in Fig. l with the parts in the sameWhen the lever,V

position, but with the lever removed. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevationwith the lever swung down, so that the device maybe operated as aratchet screw-driver and the lever used after the manner of abit-stock.Fig. 4. is a plan view of the disk or cam wheel removed. Fig. 5 is aplan ofthe under side of the sam e. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section takenon line 6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 7, Fig.3. Fig. 8 is a view in elevation of the' spring-pawl removed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the handle, and B the blade, of the screw-driver, saidblade being of any desired shape or form which may be rotated for thepurpose of turning a screw or for any other analogous purpose.

B represents the shank of the blade, provided with an annular groove B",into or through one portion of which a pin b extends from the ferrule I9for the purpose of holding 'the shank rotatively in the handle. Theupper end of the handle is provided with a metallic ring or socket C,having a central hole C.

Normally' loose on the lower portion of the shank B' is a head or blockD, and swinging from opposite sides of said block, by means of screws e,are the lower ends of the two arms of a bail-shaped lever E. This levercorresponds substantially in shape with the handie A and is provided onthe under surface of its upper end with a small projection E', Fig. l.When the bail is swung up into a vertical position, this projectionextends into the opening C' of the ring or socket C and locks the bailand handle together.

Rigidly secured toand surroundingthe lower portion of the shank B',below and next to the head or block D, is a circular ledge or flange F,provided on its upper surface with a series of recesses F', arranged ina circle and each preferably round iu plan and arc-shaped in verticalsection, although these exact shapes need not be closely adhered to. Thediameter of the flange F is preferably the same as that of the block D.This block is vertically bored at D' to receive a spring-pawl consistingof the lower portion or pawl proper, H,

TOO

provided with the shank H', Figs. 2 and 8; the tubular portion I,provided with the head l', into which said shank loosely extends, andthe spring G, surrounding said shank and lying between the shouldersproduced by the upper end of the portion H and the lower end of theportion I. The lower end or foot of the pawl proper, H, is beveled offat one side at H", and said beveled foot extendsinto one of the recessesF'. The upper surface of the head l' is provided with anupwardly-extending pin J. In the drawings I have shown but one of thespring-pawls above described; but the block D may be bored to receivemore thanhone, so that the feet may extend into more than one of thesaid recesses F', if desired. The movement of the pawl is limited by apin i.

Projecting up from the upper surface of the block D is a tubularextension K, vertically slotted at K', Fig. 2, to accommodate the head lbelow described. Normally loose on this tubular extension is a disk L,provided with a curved cam-slot L' and having a serrated or rouglienededge L". The pin J extends into the cam-slot L', and the under surfaceof the disk is provided with recesses n, into which extend smallprojections or teats n', which extend upward from the upper surface ofthe block D, thus holding the camdisk L normally in engagement with thepart D. These recesses and teats are intended to be very small, however,for a reason which will appear below.

Projecting downward from the ferrule b around the shank B' is a tubularextension N, and loose ou and surrounding this extension is the ring P,recessed at P' to receive the spiral spring S, which surrounds saidtubular extension between the bottom of the ferrule l) and theinwardly-projecting ange P" of the ring P.

The cam-disk has its periphery marked with a Zero opposite the center ofthe camslot L', while the letters R and L, indicating right and left,are applied on opposite sides of the periphery of the disk. When thedisk is in the position indicated in Figs. l and 2, the center of thecam-slot is facing directly front-thatis, over the middle of the frontportion of the block D. When the parts are in this position, the pin Jis forward as far as it will go, as indicated in Fig. 2, and is centralin the cam-slot. Inasmuch as the beveled portion H" of the foot of thespring-pawl is on the same side of the pinthat is, under it-When theparts are in this position the said beveled portion faces the front andof course faces the front edge of the particular recess F' into which itextends. Hence the portions of the lower end of the spring-pawl next thesides of this recessthat is to say, substantially in the line of thecircle described by the row of recesses-are complete or not beveled andlock the block D and the recessed flange F together. Hence if thescrew-driver is rotated in either direction the pawl will not slip,because its bevel A" does not face the direction of rotation. When theparts, therefore, are in the position indicated in Fig. l, the lever E,by means of the projection E', locks the handle A within it, the springS bears against -the flange P", which presses down the cam-disk K, sothat the teats n' are held in engagement with the recesses n, and theblock D is locked to the fiange F in the manner above described, saidflange being rigid on the shank B'. Hence when the screw-driver isgrasped by means of the yoke-shaped lever in line with and conforming tothe handle A and rotated in either direction the blade is rotated likethat of an ordinary screw-driver. Now if it is desired to operate thedevice as a right-handed ratchet screw-driver the cam-wheel L is liftedagainst the power of the spring S until the teats 'n' are out of therecesses n and then rotated toward the left until the letter R isbrought to the front as far as possible. This brings the right end ofthe slot L' up to the pin J, and the outer edge of said slot swings saidpin to the left, so that the beveled portion H" of the foot of the pinfaces the left, and the complete or opposite portion of the lower end ofthe pin faces toward the right. Now it' rotation toward the right isapplied to the screw-driver the pawl will be in engagement with theparticular recess F into which it extends and will rotate the ange F,and hence the blade B, toward the right, and when the device is rotatedtoward the left the pawl will slip, (by reason of its beveled portionH",) and the device operates as a right-handed screw-driver. When it isdesired to operate the device as a left-handed screw-driver, thecam-wheel is lifted in the same manner out of engagement with the blockand rotated toward the right until the letter L is as far forward aspossible, the pin J being swung inward or toward the right and the bevelH" facing the same direction. The screw-driver is then operative as itis rotated toward the left, and the-pawl slips as it is rotated towardthe right.

The swinging yoke-shaped lever E is, as is apparent, adapted to beplaced at any angleupward or downward-and operates as a bitstock inconnection with a ratchet screwdriver, but with this additionalfeatureviz., that while the bit-stock provides leverage for operatingthe screw-driver its lever is in a fixed position or in a fixed circleof rotation, while my lever E may be adapted to the position or locationof the screw-driver in doing its work. In some locations it is advisablethat the lever should be swung well down, as shown in Fig. 3. In otherlo cations it is swung up toward the handle, and in others it is swungat or near a right angle. Hence the advantages of a lever screw-driverare available in many places and under many circumstances where and whena bit-stock with its iixed lever cannot be employed.

IIO

While this invention is primarily intended to be used as a screw-driver,I propose to use any blade whichis adapted to communicate rotation andto which my invention is applicable.

Of course any designating-marks may be applied to the disk-wheel orelsewhere or the marks may be left od entirely, as desired.

Having thus fully described myinvention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a screw-driver or similar tool of the ratchet type, the blade andits shank; the flange or collar F 'rigid on said shank and formed on itsupper surface with recesses F; the blockorhead D loose on said shankabove the collar or flange; the spring-pawl comprising the lower portionor pawl proper H beveled atrH" at its lower end on one side, and theupper portion I provided at its upper end with the upwardly-projectingpin J said spring-pawl being set and adapted to move substantiallyvertically in the block over said series of recesses; acam-disk loose onsaid shank above the block and adapted to engage with said pin J; andmeans for holding said cam-disk in engagement with the block and fordisengagng it therefrom and adjusting it thereupon, whereby the ratchetmechanism may be adjusted to operate the tool right or left handed, orin the ordinary manner right and left handed without slipping,substantially as described.

Yend with the upwardly-projecting pin J said spring-pawl being set andadapted to move substantially verticallyin the block over said series ofrecesses; the cam-disk L loose on said shaft above the block andprovided with the cam-slot L; means for locking said camdisk and blocktogether; a suitable handle on the shank; and spring mechanismintermediate of the handle and cam-disk whereby said cam-disk is heldnormally in engagement with the block, but is adapted to be lifted outof such engagement in order to alter the device from a right-handratchet to a left-hand ratchet or from a ratchet device to ascrew-driver operated as usual with a rigid blade, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED o. GREENE.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, A. N. BONNEY.

